Stage apparatus.



R. W. TULLY.

STAGE APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. a. 1918.

Patented Oct. 15

O OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOQI IOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO WITNESSES A TTORIVEYS RICHARD WALTON TULLY, OF SIERRA MADRE, CALIFORNIA.

STAGE APPARATUS.

Application filed. February 6, 1918.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RICHARD WALTON TULLY, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Sierra Madre, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented a new and Improved Stage Apparatus, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The object of the invention is to provide a new and improved stage apparatus more especially designed for changing the positions of two persons so that one disappears and the other occupies the position of the first person. Another object is to permit of making the change pass without detection by the audience thus enabling an actor to play two roles in the same play.

In order to produce the desired result, use is made of a set piece having an opening and a changing device extending in the said opening and having a front support adapted to support a person in view of the audience and having a rear support adapted to support and conceal another person in the rear of the said set piece and out of view of the audience, the said front and rear supports being movable one relative to the other to allow the first person to disappear and the second person to occupy the place previously occupied by the first person.

A practical embodiment of the invention is represented in the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a cross section of the stage apparatus with the parts in one position, the section being on the line 11 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 2 is a similar view of the same with the parts in another position; and

Fig. 3 is a reduced sectional plan view of the stage apparatus and its setting.

The stage 10 is provided with the usual footlights 11 and during the play is open at the front, and on the stage are mounted a back set piece 12 and side set pieces 13, only one of which'is shown, to form a room containing, say, a mantlepiece 1 1, piano 15, and a small table 16 supporting a dimly lighted lamp 17, as indicated in Fig. 3, but it is expressly understood that I do not limit myself to the pieces of furniture or the particular arrangement of the set pieces, as the same may be varied without deviating from my invention.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct; 15. 1918.

Serial No. 215,571.

A shown in Fig. 3, the set piece 13 is provided with a door 18 adjacent the table 16, and in the back of the set piece 12 is formed an opening 19 into which fits the back 20 of the frame 21 of a lounge, sofa or similar piece of furniture projecting forwardly into the room, as indicated in the drawings. This piece of furniture is provided witha support 22 for a person to lie on, and its forward edge is connected by hinges 23 to the front 2 1 of the frame 21. The back 20 of the frame 21 is provided with 'an opening 25 in which extends a panel 26 representing the back of the support 22. This panel 26 is mounted to swing downward and forward by the use of pivots 2'? connecting the lower end of the panel with the back 20 of the frame 21. lower end of the panel 26 extends rearwardly a second support 30 adapted to support a second person. The under side of the support 30 is provided with handles 31 adapted to be taken hold of by the operator to swing the support 30 upward'and forward so that the panel 26 swings downward and forward to occupy the place previously occupied by the support 22, which latter at this time has swung downward into discharging position, as indicated in Fig. 2. In order to move the support 22 in unison with the support 30 use is made of chains, ropes or similar flexible connect-ions 40 each attached at one end at 4L1 to the support 30 and secured at its other end to a bracket 42 fastened to the under side of the support 22 at the free end thereof. Each flexible connection 40 extends upward and passes over a pulley 4:3 journaled on the back 20 of the frame 21. A flexible strip of cloth or a similar material is attached to the top of the back 20 and depends from the rear thereof in the back of the panel 26, and this strip serves to cover the upper portion of the opening 25 during the time the back 26 swings downward and forward while the support 30 swings upward and forward into the position previously occupied by the panel 26.

Normally the parts are in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 3 and a person is resting on the support 22 in full view of the audience while another person is resting on the support 30 out of view of the audience. When it is desired to change the persons, the operator takes hold of the-handles 31 From the s the back 26 in an approximately horizontal supporting position while the brackets A2 of the support 22 rest on the floor. It will be noticed that during this movement the support 30 becomes the back panel for the frame 21. I

The stage apparatus shown and described is of special service when it is desired that an actor play two roles in the same play,

as, for instance, in The Masquerader, a

play by John Hunter Booth, one actor plays the roles of both Loder and Chilcote, M. P. Thus while a dummy of Chilcote is resting on the support 22 in a supposed stupor the actor representing Loder is in the room, and when it is desired that Loder should take the place of the dummy then Loder passes out of the room through the door 18 to the rear of the set piece 12 and, after a quick change of dress, lies down on the support 30, after which the operator makes the change as above described so that the dummy passes out of sight and Loder now in the role of Chilcote appears lying on the support 26 within the room to act the tragic end of Chilcote.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A stage apparatus, comprising a set piece having an opening and a changing device extending in the said opening and having a front support adapted to support a person in View of the audience, and having a rear support adapted to support and conceal another person in the rear of the said set piece, the said front and rear supports being movable one relative to the other to allow the first person to disappear and the second person to occupy the place previously occupied by the first person.

2. In a stage apparatus, a swinging support adapted to support a person in view of the audience, and a turning support adapted to support and conceal a second person, the said swinging support being adapted to move out of supporting position and relieve itself of its person out of view of the audience, and the said turning support being adapted to move simultaneously and display its person to the audience in lieu of and in the place formerly occupied by the said first person.

3. A stage apparatus, comprising a set piece having an opening therein and a lounge having its back frame fitting the said opening, the said lounge having a hinged main support adapted to support a person, the said lounge having a back panel provided with a rearwardly extending auxiliary support adapted to support a second person, the said back panel being adapted to swing downward and forward to occupy the place of the said main support, and the said auxiliary support being'adapted to form the back panel of the lounge.

4. A stage apparatus in the form of a sofa, comprising a frame, a main support hinged to the frame and adapted to swing downward, aback panel mounted to swing on the frame and adapted to occupy the place of the said main support, and an auxiliary support extending rearwardly on the said back panel and adapted to occupy the place of the back panel on the latter occupying the place of the said main support.

5. A stage apparatus in the form of a sofa, comprising a frame, a main support auxiliary support in unison.

6. A stage apparatus, comprising a lounge frame, a support hinged at its forward end to the front of the frame to swing downwardly into an inclined discharging position, a back panel pivoted at its lower end on the said frame and adapted to swing downward and forward to occupy the place of the said support at the time the'latter swingsinto discharging position, and a second support extending rearwardly from the lower end of the said back panel and adapted to swing upward and forward to occupy the place of the said back panel at the time the latter occupies the place of the said first-named support.

7 A stage apparatus, comprising a lounge frame, a support hinged at its forward end to the front of the frame to swing downwardly into an inclined discharging position, a back panel pivoted at its lower end on the said frame and adapted to swing downward and forward to occupy the place of the said support at the time the latter swings into discharging position, a second support extending rearwardly from the lower end of the said back frame and adapted to swing upward and forward to occupy the place of the said back panel at the time the latter occupies the place of the said firstnamed support, a pulley journaled on the said frame, and a flexible connection between the said supports and Passing over the said pulley.

8. A stage apparatus, comprising alounge frame, a support hinged at its forward end to the front of the frame to swing downwardly into an inclined discharging position, a back panel pivoted at its lower end on the said frame and adapted to swing downward and forward to occupy the place of the said support at the time the latter swings into discharging position, a second support extending rearwardly from the lower end of the said back panel and adapted to swing upward and forward to occupy the place of the said back panel at the time the latter occupies the place of the said firstnamed support, and handles on the under side of the said support.

9. A stage apparatus, comprising a lounge frame, a support hinged at its forward end to the front of the frame to swing downwardly into an inclined discharging position, a back panel pivoted at its lower end on the said frame and adaptedto swing downward and forward to occupy the place of the said support at the time the latter swings into discharging position, a second support extending rearwardly from the lower end of the said back panel and adapted to swing upward and forward to occupy the place of the said back panel at the time the latter occupies the place of the said firstnamed support, and a flexible strip depending from the top of the frame at the rear thereof and the rear upper portion of the said back panel to cover the opening on the back panel swinging downward and forward.

RICHARD WALTON TULLY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for dve cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. c." 

